Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet 2011

Stone crab boats arrive at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Waylon Demere, 4, center, watches as the frog he picked leaps toward freedom in the frog jumping contest at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Nine stone crabbing boats arrived at the Rod & Gun Club and were blessed by pastors from Chokoloskee Church of God, Copeland Baptist Church, and First Baptist Everglades City. The stone crab fleet will drop their traps on Oct. 5th and will collect them on Oct. 15th which marks the beginning of the season. Greg Kahn/Staff

Samantha Bruscini, 10, right, and Hannah Gilmore, 4, left, toss flowers along the seawall in preparation for the stone crabbing boats to arrive at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Hannah Gilmore, 4, tosses flowers along the seawall in preparation for the stone crabbing boats to arrive at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Kyle McMillin, 9, left, and friend Hunter Dupree, 10, right, wait for the stone crab boats at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Visitors wait for the stone crab boats at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Stone crab boats arrive at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Stone crab boats arrive at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Members of the band the Whole Tones, from Marco Island, perform during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet at the historic Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Robert Robinson, center, with daughter Kingston, 11 months, and wife Misty, left, bow their heads as a prayer is said by local pastors at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Local boat captains bow their heads as a prayer is said by local pastors at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Stone crab boats arrive at the historic Rod & Gun Club during The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet in Everglades City on Oct. 2, 2011. Greg Kahn/Staff

Capt. Ivan Kibodeaux on "Kristin Anne" sits in his wheelhouse. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

William Peabody owned "Serious Addiction" until he sold it a year ago. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Crewman Richard Melanson on "Serious Addiction" bows his head for the blessing. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Pastors Morris Dantin, John Gilmore, and Jim Fross (from left) bow their heads in prayer. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Stone crab boats head down the Barron River to be blessed. The captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Pastors Morris Dantin, John Gilmore, and Jim Fross pray for a safe, successful season. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Thousands of flower petals were strewn on the docks before the boats arrived. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Tiffany Kibodeaux looks at the Rod & Gun Club's old truck. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Tiffany Kibodeaux, in front of the Rod & Gun Club's old truck, comes from a stone crabbing family. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Robin Levingston and Barbie Stokes are both married to crab boat captains. Nine of those captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Judge Rudy Oglesby awarded Joan Griffin's guava cake first place in the bakeoff. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

The Wholetones provide a musical setting for the event. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Betty Campbell of Chokoloskee Church of God shows off the dump cake they featured in the bake sale. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Stone crab boats head down the Barron River to be blessed. The captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

"Flirtin' with Disaster" had passengers topsides. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

"Serious Addiction" ties up. Stone crab boat captains brought their boats to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd annual Blessing of the Fleet, and a party broke out. Lance Shearer/Special to the Eagle

Stone crab boats tied up along the Barron River in Everglades City, as seen from the Rod & Gun Club, on Sunday, October 2, while local pastors blessed each crew as local residents looked on.